You are here

Awareness campaign to stress school bus safety

LITTLE ROCK — The state Department of Education is launching a three-week campaign to raise awareness about school bus safety as students return to school after the summer break

“Flashing Red. Kids Ahead.” will run Monday through Aug. 30 and will seek to remind motorists to obey all traffic laws whenever they are near a school bus, including a state law that makes it illegal to pass a stopped school bus whenever its red lights are flashing and it is loading or unloading students.

“Our schools are set to begin the new school year in just a few days. This effort reminds motorists that they play an important role in keeping our students safe,” state Education Commissioner Tom Kimbrell said in a news release.

In Arkansas, nearly 7,000 school buses transport more than 250,000 students to and from school and school-related activities each school day.

The penalties for illegally passing a stopped school bus were increased by Act 2128 of 2005, also known as Isaac’s Law. The legislation was named for Isaac Brian, an elementary school student in the Bryant School District who was struck and killed when a driver illegally passed his school bus while it was unloading students.